"Jesus said his followers would be known for their love-not their loneliness. Yet over half of Americans and American churchgoers report lacking companionship, or that no one knows us well. We live disconnected lives, and our mental and spiritual health suffers as a result. Jeff Galley and Phil Smith have a remedy, based on their study of Scripture, hearing from the global church, and observing best practices in leading thousands of small groups. The New Testament's exhortations to love one another are not merely individual commands but instructions for communities, one to another, to each other, and each to all. Loving one another today encompasses depending on one another, committing to one another, talking with one another, knowing one another, and welcoming one another. Galley and Smith outline postures and practical shifts to combat the loneliness epidemic and also offer life design suggestions-small yet meaningful changes we can make to escape aloneness and create community. Discover how you and your church can break away from soul-killing isolation and be transformed into life-giving communities"-- Provided by publisher.
Rediscover Community in a Disconnected World
Jesus said his followers would be known for their love, not their loneliness. Yet over half of Americans—and American churchgoers—say that they lack companionship or that no one knows them well. We live increasingly disconnected lives, and our mental and spiritual health suffer as a result.
In The Way Back to One Another, Jeff Galley and Phil Smith provide a remedy based on studying Scripture, learning from the global church, and observing best practices in thousands of small groups. The New Testament's exhortations to love one another are not merely individual commands but instructions for experiencing deep relationships and community, one to another, to each other, and each to all. Loving one another today will require a countercultural return to practices that are increasingly devalued and disregarded: depending on, committing to, talking with, knowing, and welcoming one another.
In The Way Back to One Another, you'll learn:
- Loneliness is a subtle yet pervasive issue that affects our mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being, and even as Christ-followers, we're not immune.
- God designed us for deep, meaningful relationships to help us become who he intends us to be.
- There is hope to cultivate the deeper connections we long for and to be ambassadors of those relationships for others, even in a culture of isolation.
- Fulfilling life is found in interdependence and realizing that our relationship with God is deeply connected to our relationships with others.
- Overcoming loneliness requires intentional, countercultural changes in how we live.
Galley and Smith cast a vision for how we were created to live, outline practical shifts to combat loneliness, and offer life design suggestions—small yet meaningful changes we can make to escape aloneness, build relationships, and create community to experience the depth of connection God intends for us. With The Way Back to One Another, discover how you and your church can break away from soul-killing isolation and become catalysts of life-giving relationships and community.
